Attachment means for mop head



Oct. 22, 1968 M. J. FUERST ATTACHMENT MEANS FOR MOP HEAD 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Aug.

FIG. 2

Get. 22, 1968 M. J. FUERST 3,406,421

ATTACHMENT MEANS FOR MOP HEAD Filed Aug. 1967 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 I l 24 A A I 24 V w w V PEG. 3

PEG. 4

PEG. 5

United States Patent 3,406,421 ATTACHMENT MEANS FOR MOP HEAD Milton J. Fuerst, New London, Wis., assignor to Kimberly- Clark Corporation, Neenah, Wis., a corporation of Delaware Filed Aug. 9, 1967, Ser. No. 659,437 8 Claims. (Cl. 15-231) ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A dust mop having gripping means for a wiper cooperating with the mop head. The mop head has openings through the thickness of the head. The gripping means include a ribbon of resilient material reversely bent upon itself in an opening to provide a spring action deformable component. Each opening, suitably four in number, has such a component and each opening is of a size to receive a finger of a human hand so that the wipe may be readily poked into each opening and retained by the cooperative action of the ribbon and mop head.

Field of the invention This invention relates to a dust mop having removable and replaceable dust wipers. More particularly, the invention relates to gripping means cooperable with a mop head to retain a wiper on the head.

Background of the invention The wipes of dust mops in use commonly become read ily loaded. It is necessary then to clean the wiper. Frequently, the wiper is removable and it is common practice to detach the Wiper and clean it or to provide a new wipe. In either event, it becomes important to provide means for readily attaching and detaching the wiper. It is a primary object of this invention to provide in a dust mop gripping'means cooperable with a mop head which will retain a wipe securely without penetrating or tearing it and without other adverse effect on the wipe for its intended purpose.

The invention will be more fully understood by reference to the following detailed and accompanying drawings wherein:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a dust mop in accordance with the invention with the wiper shown but detached to expose the gripping means;

FIG. 2 is a much enlarged view illustrating the cooperable nature of the gripping means with the mop head and a wiper;

FIGS. 3 to 5 are plan views illustrating further embodiments of the invention.

Referring to the drawings in detail, the numeral 1 generally indicates the dust mop. The mop head is designated by the numeral 2 and it is as shown in FIG. 1' provided on its under surface with a body of resilient material such as sponge rubber 3. This sponge rubber is not an essential of the dust mop for the purpose of this invention but, as employed, is suitably cut away to permit access to the gripping means now to be described. In the drawings which follow, for the sake of clarity, the sponge rubber 3 has been eliminated.

In FIG. 1 the numeral 4 indicates a dust wiper which may be of cloth, paper or the like but which is readily conformable to the mop head structure. The mop head also has in the usual manner a handle designated at 5.

Referring now more particularly to the mop head 2, it will be noted that it includes identical openings 6, 7, 8 and 9. These openings extend through the thickness of the mop head and each pair of openings, that is, 6 and 7, and 8 and 9, provide gripping means for opposite ends of the wiper 4. Since the gripping means associated with 3,406,421 Patented Oct. 22, 1968 the apertures 6, 7 are identical to those associated with apertures 8, 9, only the former will be described in detail.

Referring now to FIG. 2, it will be noted that the ribbon 10 extends through the opening 6 and is reversely bent upon itself in the opening. The ribbon 10 is a resilient material and the reverse bend is against the inherent resiliency of the ribbon. The numeral 11 designates the bend and the numeral 12 indicates the bite formed by the reversely bent strip in the aperture 6. Additionally, the strip is preferably spaced from the mop head to define a clearance 13.

A second resilient strip 14 is similarly bent upon itself at 16 to provide the bite 15. The strips 10 and 14 have free end portions designated respectively 18, 19 and 20, 21 and these end portions overlap, as clearly as shown in FIG. 2, and are retained in position against movement including lateral movement by brads 22.

The strips 10 and 14 are relatively broad. Additionally, the openings 6, 7 are preferably of a dimension such that they will accommodate readily a finger of a human hand. Such permits, as is indicated at the right hand end of FIG. 2, an edge of the wiper 4 to be inserted between the strip 14 and the mop head so that the wipe is readily retained by the spring action of the strip component.

In FIG. 3 a further embodiment is illustrated in which a fragment of a mop head designated by the numeral 23 is provided with openings 24 having notched portions 25 for the snug receipt of portions of the strip 26. In FIG. 3 brads indicated at 27 serve to retain the strip of the mop head. FIG. 4 indicates a further embodiment in which the opening designated at 29 through the mop head 28 is rectangular in nature.

FIG. 5 designates a further embodiment which provides for adjustability so that the ribbon or strip may be appropriately set to provide a pre-determined clearance. Thus, in FIG. 5 the number 30 indicates a mop head having circular apertures 31 and separate U-shaped strips 32, 33. Strips 32, 33 are in overlapping relation and have slots which overlap and are indicated at 34, 35 in FIG. 5. The number 36 designates a washer and a screw 37 biases the washer against the strips to retain the same in adjusted position.

As many apparently widely different embodiments of this invention may be made without departing from the spirit and scope thereof, it is to be understood that I do not limit myself to the specific embodiments thereof except as defined in the appended claims.

I claim:

1. In a dust mop, an elongated mop head adapted for receipt of a dust wiper conformable to the mop head, and gripping means cooperating with the mop head for retaining a wiper, saidgripping means comprising ribbon means of resilient material retained by the mop head extending freely in an opening through the thickness of the mop head and reversely bent upon itself in said opening against the inherent resiliency of the ribbon means to provide in the opening a spring-action and deformable component which defines with the mop head a clearance for receipt of the wiper.

2. In a dust mop according to claim 1 and wherein the mop head has adjacent but spaced apart openings forming a pair for the receipt of opposite ends of a Wiper, ribbon means in the form of an integral strip passing through and forming in each of the openings a said spring-action and deformable component, each said strip having its opposed ends secured to the top and bottom of the mop head.

3. In a dust mop according to claim 1 and wherein the mop head has adjacent but spaced apart openings forming a pair for the receipt of opposite ends of a wiper, ribbon means comprising separate strips each forming a spring-action deformable component and each having c. 1 8. In adustmop accordingtoclaim 1, a mop head in free ends thereof secured to opposite surfaces of the mop head. I

4. A dust mop according to claim 1 and wherein the ribbon means is adjustably retained by the mop head for movement of the ribbon means relative to the opening to set said clearance. v

9 5. In a dust mop according to claim 1 and which further. includes a dust wiper retained between the mop head and spring-like component against the bias of the component. W

6. In a dust mop according to claim 1, a mop head in which the opening as viewed in plan is, circular.

7. In a dust mop according to claim 1, a mop head in which the opening as viewed in plan is rectangular.

which the opening as viewed in plan is generally circular but is notched out to receive the ribbon means.

a References Cited V I '1 UNITED STATESYPIATENTS DANIEL BLUM, Primary Examiner. 

